Just as we work hard to ensure that renewable energy generation plants are built “Smart from the Start,” Defenders is working to ensure that these new transmission corridors are also designed right and traverse our treasured landscapes with as little impact as possible on those lands, the habitats they encompass, and the wildlife that rely on them.

While these projects most definitely directly impact a species that has been identified as threatened and is dependent on the habitat where they would be built, Silver State South and Stateline’s approval is most troubling for a bigger reason. You see, this isn’t just an issue for the Ivanpah Valley. Developers and agencies need to be conscious of how and where they plan energy projects all across the country. They need to look at renewable energy planning with a landscape-wide lens, understanding that building in the right places and making an effort to minimize environmental impacts from the start are essential.

On Tuesday night in his State of the Union speech, President Obama said that 2014 will be a “year of action.” We agree. By tackling climate change and implementing policies that help us develop responsible renewable energy, we can truly ensure that we preserve our important wildlife heritage for future generations.

Building solar projects in the right places can mean a clean source of energy AND minimal impacts on vulnerable wildlife species and their habitat. We’re excited to see that this project is working to do exactly that!